13 English Words You Didn't Realize Were Stolen From Portuguese

Thanks to Portugal‘s maritime explorations in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Portuguese language can be found all over the world, from Brazil and Africa to India and Japan. Over time, several Portuguese words made their way into the English language, and some of them may take you by surprise.

Cobra

From the Portuguese cobra-de-capello, meaning ‘snake with a hat’.

Cobra | Culture Trip/Euan Marshall

Port

From the Portuguese for the same, porto.

Port | Culture Trip/Euan Marshall

Palaver

From the Portuguese palavra, meaning ‘a word’.

Palaver | Culture Trip/Euan Marshall

Molasses

From the Portuguese for the same, melaço.

Molasses | Culture Trip/Euan Marshall

Tank

From the Portuguese for the same, tanque.

Tank | Culture Trip/Euan Marshall

Tempura

From the Portuguese tempero, meaning ‘seasoning’.

Tempura | Culture Trip/Euan Marshall

Cashew

From the Portuguese for the same, caju.

Cashew | Culture Trip/Euan Marshall

Grouper

From the Portuguese for the same, garupa.

Grouper | Culture Trip/Euan Marshall

Mango

From the Portuguese for the same, manga.

Mango | Culture Trip/Euan Marshall

Embarrass

From the Portuguese verb embaraçar, meaning ‘to tie into a knot’.

Embarrass | Culture Trip/Euan Marshall

Labrador

From the Canadian district, which is named after Portuguese explorer João Fernandes Lavrador.